Ananda Lewis, Beloved Host of MTV’s ‘TRL’ and BET’s ‘Teen Summit,’ Dies at 52

Ananda Lewis, a prominent MTV VJ from the ’90s and early 2000s, has died.

Lewis’s sister Lakshmi Emory posted the news to Facebook that she had lost her years-long battle with breast cancer. She was 52 years old.

“She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” Emory wrote. “Lord, rest her soul.”

Lewis announced in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer after not getting regular mammograms due to a fear of radiation. In a 2024 CNN interview, she revealed her cancer had progressed to Stage IV after choosing not to have a double mastectomy.

Lewis was one of the first big video jockeys on MTV. She was a former host for “Total Request Live,” “Hot Zone,” and “The Ananda Lewis Show.”

She began her career by hosting BET’s “Teen Summit” for three seasons before moving over to MTV in 1997 to host “TRL” and “Hot Zone.” She got her own show – aptly titled “The Ananda Lewis Show – in 2001 that ran until 2002.

BET remembered the former host following news of her death.

“As the host of BET’s Teen Summit, she didn’t just lead conversations—she sparked change, empowering a generation to speak up, love themselves, and think deeper,” the post read.

It continued: “Ananda brought brilliance, beauty, and authenticity to every space she entered. Her impact lives on through the countless lives she touched, both on and off screen. We honor the life and legacy of Ananda Lewis—an unforgettable voice, trailblazer, and truth-teller.”

In 2004, Lewis joined “The Insider” – a nightly show spinoff of “Entertainment Tonight” – as a correspondent until 2005. She then left the industry altogether to pursue a career in carpentry. She returned to hosting duties in 2019 with TLC’s revival of “While You Were Out.”

More to come…

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